Culinary Anthropologisttag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2010-09-07:/old//12014-12-06T15:30:41ZMovable Type Pro 5.2Cooking Club, Tues 10th & Weds 11th March 2015tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2015://1.5992015-03-10T19:00:00Z2014-12-06T15:30:41ZThe Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford‘s beautiful organic vegetables and fruits....Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/The Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford‘s beautiful organic vegetables and fruits. This class is perfect for those who want to eat seasonally and are after a little recipe inspiration (as well as a fun night out).

Classes are usually held on the second Tuesday and/or Wednesday of the month, 7pm-10pm. We cook together for a couple of hours - learning different culinary techniques each month - and then sit to enjoy a convivial dinner around the kitchen table with wine.

Below is an example March menu to give you a feel. The exact menu is usually set at the last minute so that the best seasonal produce available from Riverford at the time can be used, and so that any returning guests can learn something new.

Butternut squash hummus

Lebanese parsnip & date salad

Syrian beetroot & yoghurt dip

Turkish egg meze with crispy sage & chilli

Moroccan style chard with olives & preserved lemon

Hot lemon soufflés

"I couldn’t speak more highly of Anna’s cooking class. We learnt some great new flavour combinations and ways of using seasonal vegetables. Very fun and friendly!"

"The Cooking Club was such GREAT fun and DELICIOUS … I very much look forward to coming back."

"Last night was fantastic. Was completely inspired by what we cooked and that I could potentially do that all at home! Really had a good evening - thank you."

Dates: Tues 10th, repeated Weds 11th March 2015

Time: 7pm - 10pm

Location: London N5 (Arsenal tube 2 mins walk)

Price: £50 per person per class. Or £135 for 3 Cooking Club class places

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Home Bread workshops, Sat 7th & Sun 8th March 2015tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2015://1.5952015-03-07T10:00:00Z2014-12-04T11:15:52ZWe will focus on how to fit making your own bread into a busy life. Who has the time to knead dough after work every day, let alone wait for it to rise twice before you bake it? At this...Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/We will focus on how to fit making your own bread into a busy life. Who has the time to knead dough after work every day, let alone wait for it to rise twice before you bake it? At this class you will learn cunning techniques and recipes for making your own delicious bread effortlessly, and without using a bread machine!

After this hands-on intensive workshop you will be able to make a range of easy breads - classic white boules, walnut and olive breads, focaccia, naan and flatbreads - without any of them being a chore. Homemade pizza or pitta on a school night will suddenly become a possibility! You will work with a range of top quality organic and stoneground flours including wholewheat, malted and spelt.

What’s more you will go home with a homemade bread-making kit specially sourced by Anna which will include all the essentials you need to get going immediately, even your own tub of bread dough to last you the week and woodenpeel for loading bread into the oven. Plus of course there will be plenty of the freshly baked bread you have made to take home.

The workshop includes a delicious seasonal lunch showcasing different types of bread. You can see pictures from last year’s Home Bread workshops here.

"The bread course was life changing - I haven’t bought bread since as I’ve been making my own… and it’s much nicer."

"I thought it was great value for money and it more than met my expectations. I learnt more than I’d hoped. Loved the fact that we came away with options for very quick dinners as well as breads. Fridge dough is a revelation."

"Since the course I did with you on basic bread-making, I have become the family baker - there are six of us, and I bake anything up to eight loaves a week! The children love the fresh bread and beg me not to stop. And it’s a source of great pleasure."

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How to Drink with Chilli & Spice, Thur 12th & Fri 13th Feb 2015tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2015://1.6002015-02-12T19:00:00Z2014-12-04T13:20:03ZJoin drinks writer Victoria Moore and Anna in the kitchen for a hot and spicy evening of food and wine. This time we're tackling the tricky question of what to drink with chilli. After a welcome cocktail Victoria will lead...Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/Join drinks writer Victoria Moore and Anna in the kitchen for a hot and spicy evening of food and wine. This time we're tackling the tricky question of what to drink with chilli.

After a welcome cocktail Victoria will lead you through four rounds of tastings, each put together with a different hot or spicy dish prepared by Anna. Our global tour of spicy cuisines will take you through Mexico, Thailand, India and Korea.

Along the way you will learn how different wines and other drinks work, or not, with hot foods and why. Victoria will share her years of research into the subject, including the science of bubbles and much more besides.

There will be plenty to eat and drink during this class and you will have ample opportunity to quiz Victoria on her vast wine expertise. You will leave with the confidence to choose drinks for your next chilli hot or spicy meal, and some new recipes too.

Victoria Moore is an award-winning journalist who's been writing about drinking since 1998 when she began a column in the New Statesman. She's now the wine correspondent for the Telegraph and Olive magazine, having previously written the wine column for the Guardian Saturday Weekend magazine. Victoria is also a judge for the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards. Her bestselling book, How to Drink, is a hugely readable and beautiful handbook that aims to inform, entertain and ensure you are never without the perfect drink for every occasion.

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Cooking Club, Tues 10th & Weds 11th February 2015tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2015://1.5982015-02-10T19:00:00Z2014-12-04T11:44:03ZThe Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford‘s beautiful organic vegetables and fruits....Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/The Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford‘s beautiful organic vegetables and fruits. This class is perfect for those who want to eat seasonally and are after a little recipe inspiration (as well as a fun night out).

Classes are usually held on the second Tuesday and/or Wednesday of the month, 7pm-10pm. We cook together for a couple of hours - learning different culinary techniques each month - and then sit to enjoy a convivial dinner around the kitchen table with wine.

Come in February for inspiration for cooking seasonal stars such as parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, salsify and Sevilleoranges. Below is an example February menu to give you a feel. The exact menu is usually set at the last minute so that the best seasonal produce available from Riverford at the time can be used, and so that any returning guests can learn something new.

Jerusalem artichoke & celery soup

Beetroot risotto with goat's cheese & chilli

Slow-roasted salsify with lemon

Marmalade bread & butter pudding

"I couldn’t speak more highly of Anna’s cooking class. We learnt some great new flavour combinations and ways of using seasonal vegetables. Very fun and friendly!"

"The Cooking Club was such GREAT fun and DELICIOUS … I very much look forward to coming back."

"Last night was fantastic. Was completely inspired by what we cooked and that I could potentially do that all at home! Really had a good evening - thank you."

Dates: Tues 10th, repeated Weds 11th Feb 2015

Time: 7pm - 10pm

Location: London N5 (Arsenal tube 2 mins walk)

Price: £50 per person per class. Or £135 for 3 Cooking Club class places

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Winter Preserving workshops, Fri 6th, Sat 7th, Sun 8th Feb 2015tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2015://1.5962015-02-06T10:00:00Z2014-12-04T11:20:07ZIn partnership with Riverford, the lovely organic veg box people, I offer seasonal preserving workshops. We cover all the basics of preserving fruits and vegetables and together we make five you can take home. You'll learn about sterilising jars, using...Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/In partnership with Riverford, the lovely organic veg box people, I offer seasonal preserving workshops. We cover all the basics of preserving fruits and vegetables and together we make five you can take home.

You'll learn about sterilising jars, using sugar, salt and vinegar correctly as preservatives, reaching ‘setting point’ for jams and jellies, and more. Class sizes are kept small and very hands-on. As well as your filled jars, there are recipes and guidance notes to take home.

The February Winter Preserving workshops will be a citrus extravaganza and include:

"Thanks again for such a brilliant day and for sharing your wonderful skills. I can't believe how much we made and how much I learned in your lovely kitchen!"

"The pace was just right- a good combination of a bit of the science behind preserving, a hands on approach to learning, and the opportunity to chat and discuss. I think the size of the class was ideal."

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Cooking Club, Tues 13th & Weds 14th January 2015tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2015://1.5972015-01-13T19:00:00Z2014-12-04T11:30:37ZThe Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford‘s beautiful organic vegetables and fruits....Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/The Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford‘s beautiful organic vegetables and fruits. This class is perfect for those who want to eat seasonally and are after a little recipe inspiration (as well as a fun night out).

Classes are usually held on the second Tuesday and/or Wednesday of the month, 7pm-10pm. We cook together for a couple of hours - learning different culinary techniques each month - and then sit to enjoy a convivial dinner around the kitchen table with wine.

Come in January for inspiration for cooking seasonal stars such as parsnips, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes and oranges. The exact menu is usually set at the last minute so that the best seasonal produce available from Riverford at the time can be used, and so as to ensure that returning guests learn something new.

"I couldn’t speak more highly of Anna’s cooking class. We learnt some great new flavour combinations and ways of using seasonal vegetables. Very fun and friendly!"

"The Cooking Club was such GREAT fun and DELICIOUS … I very much look forward to coming back."

"Last night was fantastic. Was completely inspired by what we cooked and that I could potentially do that all at home! Really had a good evening - thank you."

Dates: Tues 13th, repeated Weds 14th Jan 2015

Time: 7pm - 10pm

Location: London N5 (Arsenal tube 2 mins walk)

Price: £50 per person per class. Or £135 for 3 Cooking Club class places

The Secret Kitchen

The Secret Kitchen is the monthly Culinary Anthropologist supperclub that has been running since January 2010. Guests are welcomed with aperitifs and nibbles then sit at communal tables for a convivial three-course dinner. Anna's menus reflect the seasons, her culinary interests and travels.

For some special dinners she collaborates with guest chefs. In December Anna is hosting Yasmin Khan to create a special Iranian menu: Saffron Nights.

Saffron Nights: Tales from the Persian kitchen

Join us for a mid-winter feast celebrating Iran, her food and her people. Writer and cook Yasmin Khan will bring a taste of Persia to the Secret Kitchen this December with a night of delicious food and magical stories from ancient Iran.

Weaving tales of saffron and spices, with stories from Persian mythology and classic Sufi folklore, Saffron Nights will take you to the heart of the Old Silk Road to experience one of the hidden treasures of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Yasmin Khan

Yasmin Khan is a writer, campaigner and cook with a passion for sharing Iranian culture and cuisine. Last year, Yasmin ran a Kickstarter campaign to launch Saffron: Tales from the Persian kitchen, a project which led her to travel to Iran, armed with just a notepad and a bottle of pomegranate molasses, to collect recipes, stories and portraits from the people she met along the way. The project is currently being developed for TV and a book.

When not in the Persian kitchen, Yasmin manages Made in Hackney, a charity and social enterprise teaching vital food growing and cooking skills to vulnerable and low income groups in Hackney, London.

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Cooking Club, Tues 9th & Weds 10th Dec 2014tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2014://1.5912014-12-09T19:00:00Z2014-07-07T20:34:48ZThe Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford's beautiful organic vegetables and fruits....Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/The Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford's beautiful organic vegetables and fruits. This class is perfect for those who want to eat seasonally and are after a little recipe inspiration (as well as a fun night out).

Classes are usually held on the second Tuesday and/or Wednesday of the month, 7pm-10pm. We cook together for a couple of hours - learning different culinary techniques each month - and then sit to enjoy a convivial dinner around the kitchen table with wine.

Come in December for inspiration for cooking seasonal stars such as parsnips, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes and oranges. Below is an example December menu to give you a feel. The exact menu is usually set at the last minute so that the best seasonal produce available from Riverford at the time can be used.

Carrot & ginger soup with orange blossom cream

Whole roast cauliflower with capers & raisins

Waldorf salad with Stilton

Turkish olive oil braised winter roots with dill

Chocolate fondant puddings with candied orange

"I couldn't speak more highly of Anna's cooking class. We learnt some great new flavour combinations and ways of using seasonal vegetables. Very fun and friendly!"

“The Cooking Club was such GREAT fun and DELICIOUS … I very much look forward to coming back.”

"Last night was fantastic. Was completely inspired by what we cooked and that I could potentially do that all at home! Really had a good evening - thank you."

Date: Tuesday 9th December 2014, repeated Weds 10th Dec if demand

Time: 7pm - 10pm

Location: London N5 (Arsenal tube 2 mins walk)

Price: £45 per person per class. Or £120 for 3 Cooking Club class places

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Festive Bread workshop, Saturday 6th December 2014tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2014://1.5862014-12-06T10:00:00Z2014-07-07T18:47:46ZAt this class you will learn how to make a range of festive breads perfect for the coming holiday season, including Jewish braided challah, buttery brioche, traditional Dresden stollen and Italian panettone. After this intensive workshop you will understand how...Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/At this class you will learn how to make a range of festive breads perfect for the coming holiday season, including Jewish braided challah, buttery brioche, traditional Dresden stollen and Italian panettone.

After this intensive workshop you willunderstand how eggs, fat, milk and sugar work to enrich doughs, how to shape three-strand braids, classic brioches à têtes, fruit-laden stollen loaves and tall panettones. We will also cover the importance of long fermentation periods, essential for developing complex flavours in bread, and how to fit bread-baking into busy lives. Plus you will learn how to use up leftover festive bread to make delicious puddings.

This class is perfect for anyone who wants to get baking for the festive season and spoil their friends and family with outstanding home-made treats. This is a hands-on class. You will leave laden with plenty of freshly baked bread and feeling confident to make more at home.

The workshop includes a delicious seasonal lunch showcasing different types of bread, with wine.

"We had such a great day and we really enjoyed your company and those of your other guests. Oh - and the breads! My, how popular we have since become."

"Anna broke the processes down step by step so that it didn't feel daunting and gave us lots of great tips and tricks over the course of the day. ... This class really exceeded my expectations and I would be happy to take another class with Anna in the future."

At this hands-on class you will learn how to bake each of these delicious sweet treats from scratch. We will enjoy some for tea with plenty of glögg, and you will go home with all the recipes and plenty of buns, Danishes and cookies to share with others, or not...

This class is a collaboration between Culinary Anthropologist and Mia Kristensen of CPH Good Food, following our series of very successful Spring,Summer,Autumn and Christmas New Nordic Cuisine classes. Mia Kristensen runs Nordic cuisine classes and food tours in Copenhagen.

“I am passionate about Nordic cuisine - its seasonality, lightness of ingredients and symbiotic relationship to nature. Nordic foods contain all five basic tastes and this makes it complete. Many ingredients are found in nature, which encourages wonderful family trips, cooking in nature and of course eating together,” says Mia.

Also a food writer and student of Food Science, Mia will share her knowledge of the whys and wherefores of baking during this class. The class is limited to 8 guests so that everyone can fully take part.

"The Scandinavian class was quite outstanding, such good fun, informative as always and the most delicious and enormous dinner."

"Fabulous food!"

"Wonderful class! I learned so much!"

"Loved it! So inspiring!"

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Catalan Pig Day, Sat 22nd Nov 2014tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2014://1.5922014-11-22T10:00:00Z2014-10-20T13:43:56ZJoin Catalan culinary expert Rachel McCormack and Anna for a glorious day of pig cookery and general piggery. We will celebrate the pig by using its various parts for a delicious breakfast, hearty lunch and sausages to take away, as...Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/Join Catalan culinary expert Rachel McCormack and Anna for a glorious day of pig cookery and general piggery. We will celebrate the pig by using its various parts for a delicious breakfast, hearty lunch and sausages to take away, as is done at the annual pig slaughter in villages around the world.

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We will make:

Frit Mallorquin - a breakfast dish using liver

Trotters a la Catalana - to enjoy for lunch with rice, and roasted with honey

Catalan black pudding - with a couple of variations

Fuet sausages - a classic Catalan salami

Sweet pig's blood pancakes - for dessert

...and we will also use the pig's head so as not to waste anything.

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Rachel is originally from Scotland but spent most of her twenties living in Barcelona, where she caught the Catalan obsession with food. She now lives in London where she teaches cooking classes, runs food markets and writes about food. She is also a regular panelist on BBC Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet, for which Anna works as food consultant behind the scenes (having had the idea for the show).

Rachel has run several very popular Pig Days at other venues for crowds of 20-30 people. This event will be in Anna's home teaching kitchen and is limited to just 8 guests. It will be a very hands on class, with plenty of pig for everyone to get their hands into. Not for the squeamish.

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Date: Saturday 22nd November

Time: 10am - 4pm

Location: London N5

Price: £120, or two places for £216 (includes breakfast and a late lunch with wine)

"What a fantastic and unique day. I really enjoyed the food (top marks to the pig's head meat + brain fried with sherry), conversation and having the opportunity to dive into masses of pig meat and fat. It was a great experience."

"Yesterday was lovely ... welcoming hosts, a lovely atmosphere, and we made sausages! Which was very cool. The kitchen worked well, and looked nice too. The wine was lovely and the sherry. The rice dish was delicious. ... I would recommend the day to anyone, it was great fun, and I feel a big sense of achievement!"

Our menu celebrates autumn produce and has an Italian-Istrian theme. The combination of lardo with chestnuts and truffle is one we have enjoyed in Italy in various forms. The wild boar stew is based on those cooked in Istria, where wild boar are common. Teran is the local red wine, and pairs well with game. The idea for smoky polenta came from experiences in Valle d'Aosta, where polenta is sometimes still cooked over a wood fire. Today I smoked the butter and added this to the polenta. Ingredients were sourced from Riverford Organic in Devon and the Wild Meat Company in Suffolk. Everything is home-made, including the sourdough, chestnut jam, ice cream and liqueurs.

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Cooking Club, Tues 11th Nov 2014tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2014://1.5902014-11-11T19:00:00Z2014-07-09T13:42:50ZThe Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford's beautiful organic vegetables and fruits....Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/The Cooking Club is a monthly series of classes that you can dip in and out of as you please. At each class we cook a seasonal vegetarian supper, the stars of which are Riverford's beautiful organic vegetables and fruits. This class is perfect for those who want to eat seasonally and are after a little recipe inspiration (as well as a fun night out).

Classes are usually held on the second Tuesday and/or Wednesday of the month, 7pm-10pm. We cook together for a couple of hours - learning different culinary techniques each month - and then sit to enjoy a convivial dinner around the kitchen table with wine.

Come in November for inspiration for cooking seasonal stars such as radicchio, sweet potatoes, persimmons, apples and quinces. Below is an example November menu to give you a feel. The exact menu is usually set at the last minute so that the best seasonal produce available from Riverford at the time can be used.

Radicchio, persimmon & walnut salad

Sweet potato & sage gratin

Celeriac rémoulade

Grilled radicchio with balsamic dressing

Apple and quince crumble with homemade custard

"Well, what can I say about last night! It was superb and I really enjoyed. You are a great chef/cook/mentor and very patient. The food was delicious."

“I have thoroughly enjoyed these classes. I have learned many new skills and the classes have given me ideas on using seasonal vegetables. I have used many of the recipes again.”

"Thanks for a great evening. We all enjoyed it very much and I am already trying out new knife skills and more. We'll be back!"

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Artisan Bread workshops, Fri 7th, Sat 8th, Sun 9th Nov 2014tag:www.culinaryanthropologist.org,2014://1.5852014-11-07T10:00:00Z2014-07-07T18:34:17ZThis class is perfect for anyone who has dabbled with bread-making before and now wants to improve the flavour and texture of their bread and learn how to shape different loaves such as baguettes, fougasse and ciabatta. For anyone who...Annahttp://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/This class is perfect for anyone who has dabbled with bread-making before and now wants to improve the flavour and texture of their bread and learn how to shape different loaves such as baguettes, fougasse and ciabatta. For anyone who has tried sourdoughs at home but been disappointed with the results, this class will transform your bread!

At this class you will learn how to make and care for your own sourdough starter and use it to make crusty wheat and rye sourdough breads. You will also learn how to make beautiful baguettes, olive fougasse and airy ciabatta.

After this intensive workshop you willunderstand how to create artisan breads with proper crackling crusts and moist, open irregular crumbs. You will learn how wet and stiff doughs behave differently, how different types of kneading affect the final loaf and about the importance of long fermentation periods. We will also cover using pre-ferments such as poolishes and bigas.

This is a hands-on class. You will make and shape all of the doughs yourself so that you leave confident to try these breads at home.

What's more, you will go home with an artisan bread-making kit specially sourced by Anna, including a long woodenslip for loading baguettes into the oven, your own new sourdough starter, a baker's lame (razor for slashing) and a wicker proving basket. Plus of course there will be plenty of the freshly baked bread you have made to take home.

The workshop includes a delicious seasonal lunch showcasing different types of bread, with wine.

"Anna's classes are always brilliant. The day is busy but in the nicest possible way. The classes are small and extremely friendly. The information and level of confidence and competence you leave with is quite amazing."

"Anna is not only an extremely knowledgeable cook, but she is able to transmit her knowledge in a very clear manner. The workshop is very well-prepared, there is no time to waste. What I really liked is that she teaches you to prepare and bake amazing delicious bread with home/normal tools and resources. I can highly recommend her workshops, great day, great fun, great teaching and most importantly, one feels ready to start baking immediately after at home."

"I had an amazing time and this workshop was exactly was I was looking for. I learned how to make impressive artisan bread at a more advanced level. I highly recommend this workshop!!"

"Since the course I did with you I have become the family baker - there are six of us, and I bake anything up to eight loaves a week! The children love the fresh bread and beg me not to stop home baking."

The Secret Kitchen is the monthly Culinary Anthropologist supperclub that has been running since January 2010. For the first time, Anna is hosting guest chef and fellow anthropologist Claudia Prieto Piastro from Mexico to create a special Mexican menu.

Bookings for the Secret Kitchen must be paid for in advance to be confirmed.

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Claudia Prieto Piastro and the surprising story of the taco

Claudia Prieto-Piastro is a Mexican PhD student at Kings College London. Her research uses an anthropological approach to analyse how food is related to the construction of nationalism in Mexico and Israel.

Our dinner will not only present the traditional and delicious flavours of Mexican cuisine, but also demonstrate the roles which colonialism and migration have played in the kitchen. Come along to discover and taste the surprising story of the taco!